Going green means many things to many people. Here at Pelican Pools we pride ourselves on being knowledgeable and aware of advancements in energy saving technology, as well as the most environmentally, and people friendly sanitation systems. On this page we have some of the equipment that we sell and install that will help you save money on your electric, and make the carbon footprint of your pool as small as possible.

Because an automatic safety cover is so easy to use, your pool can always be covered when it’s not in use. That means you will save money on heating, electricity, water and pool chemicals. When pool water evaporates, it takes heat with it. An automatic safety cover system prevents most evaporation, so the heating requirements are much less. At night the cover acts as a blanket, insulating your pool from the cool night air. Any heat savings will translate to saving natural gas, or propane, which can be used for more essential uses. Due to less debris getting into the pool from being covered, the pool pump and filter usage can also be reduced. That saves energy which in turn, reduces pollution. All of these features will help to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of your pool.

PUMP TECHNOLOGY

The easiest way to reduce your footprint is by upgrading to a variable speed pump if you have not done so already. The average 1 ½ hp single speed pump uses on average 2751kWh/year, whereas a new 3 hp variable speed pump will use only 750 kWh/year. The most surprising thing about this, is that you will use less energy by running your variable speed pump 24/7 than you would by operating a single speed pump for 10 hours a day. I know it seems counterintuitive, but it is true. LIPA currently offers a $200 rebate per pump installed, up to 4, on a residence. Compare that to what they will give you to update your refrigerator, and you will realize the amount of energy these old pumps consume.
The simple math behind this energy savings is that when you reduce the speed on your motor, the amount of resistance is reduced in multiples. Lets reduce your pump speed by 50%, what are the effects down the line? First the resistance on the motor goes down by 75%, secondly the resistance in your plumbing lines goes down by 75% as well. Lastly and most importantly is that when the pump is run at 50%, the electricity usage goes down by 87.5%!!!!!
In laymans terms: At full speed, (3450 RPM) this pump delivers 66 gallons per minute and uses 2000 watts of power. This is the equivalent to using 20 – 100 watt light bulbs. At half speed (1725 RPM) the pump delivers 33 GPM and uses only 250 watts or 2.5 – 100 watt light bulbs. Now, one may say at the lower speed we get only half the flow. This would mean that we must run the pump twice as long. If we double the watts due to the extended run time, we will move the same amount of water for only 500 watts, or 5 – 100 watt light bulbs. That’s a 75% savings. And that’s a real reduction to your carbon footprint.

A combination of an air-to-air heat pump coupled with a small solar electric system provides the best cost/benefit, comfort, and maintenance profile. Here is how it works:
Heat pump: Heat pumps are an energy efficient way to heat your pool without the use of combustion of gas or oil. As the pool pump circulates the swimming pool’s water, the water drawn from the pool passes through a filter and the heat pump heater. The heat pump uses a liquid solution within an evaporator coil to absorb the heat from the outside air. The warm gas in the coil then passes through a compressor. The compressor increases the heat, creating a very hot gas. This heat is then transferred to the cooler pool water circulating through the heater. The heated water then returns to the pool.

Small solar electric system: The only energy required to power the pool heat pump is electricity, which can easily be generated from a small solar electric system that typically fits on the pool house, pergola, garage, main house, or is tucked away on your grounds. The amount of solar electric required for a typical pool is 2-3KW, which can fit on a 15′x15′ roof. Solar electric systems benefit from all the same net metering, LIPA rebates, and federal and state tax credits as the systems we sell for your house.

WHAT YOU SAVE:

Green Pool Heating Savings
The savings from a “green” pool heating solution will depend on many factors and vary from property to property. The following example shows a comparison between installing a new gas fired hot water heater (and associated tank) and installing a heat pump pool heater. This provides the best apples-to-apples comparison between the choices.
Note:
Customers can also add a solar electric system to the heat pump solution which can eliminate the ongoing costs altogether.

Comparative Cost of Operation
Heat Pump and Solar Solution: $6.06 Cost per million BTUs of heat
Liquid Propane: $40.76 Cost per million BTUs of heat
Natural Gas: $27.50 Cost per million BTUs of heat
Electrical Resistance: $38.10 Cost per million BTUs of heat